Visit
by Big Meanie
Summary: He's there because she invited him. He's in for more than he expects afterwards: friendship.


Visit

A/N: A short, sweet Shadow and Cream friendship fic. Goodness, SEGA needs to bring her back so her cuteness can infect us and make us play as her, lol. Enough rambles from me...

_He's there because she invited him...but he's in for more than he never expected: friendship..._

He sighed audibly, wishing he was in his recliner asleep instead of standing behind the gate to her and her mother's house. The younger rabbit's a professional at making him crumble at her cuteness. Shadow grumbled to himself before opening the gate and walking up the steps of the porch and rang the doorbell.

Vanilla opened the door and smiled.

"Hello Shadow. How are you today?"

"I'm doing fine Ms. Vanilla. I'm here for my 'date' with the little one." Shadow answered her calmly. The elder rabbit smiled.

"She's in her room waiting for you." Vanilla said as she stepped aside to allow Shadow into the home. He did and immediately acknowledged the smell of lemon air freshener in the house. It was complete opposite of his home which smelled of weed and spilled beer in the carpet.

"Nice place you got here Ms. Vanilla. It's more organized then my bedroom." His comment made the elder rabbit chuckle amusedly.

"Oh honey bunches, you're too sweet. Go now, Cream's waiting. I'll be in the kitchen making dinner in the meantime." She turned and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Shadow in the living room. He went to Cream's bedroom where she was sitting in her bed playing with a stuffed bear.

"Cream?"

"Hi Mr. Shadow!" Cream jumped out her bed to hug the elder hedgehog and he grunted at her tiny strength. He awkwardly returned her hug and was pulled further into her bedroom.

He sat down on her soft bed and looked around at the bright walls and organized toys about the room.

"Where's your pet Chao?" Shadow asked, acknowledging Cheese's absence.

"He's at the Chao Garden with his friends. It's mating season, so he went. He'll be back before the month's over."

"Interesting." Shadow wasn't paying attention exactly and sighed. The rabbit noticed this and looked at him worried.

"Mr. Shadow what's wrong? You don't want to play with me today?"

"Dearheart that's not why I'm sighing. Im just thinking of something. What do you want to do, huh? Play with him here?" Shadow picked up the bear she was playing with prior to his arrival and parentheses to make it walk up to Cream.

He was trying to play with the girl despite how awkward he felt when he did. She smiled.

"You're funny Mr. Shadow." The rabbit giggled. Shadow smirked.

"Well, being funny isn't my cup of tea." Shadow scratched at his muzzle, acknowledging the need to shave was needed.

"Oh Mr. Shadow." Cream smiled, knowing the hedgehog was teasing her. Being funny wasn't his thing in general, but he enjoyed the fact that she found him amusing in some way.

He put the stuffed bear down and turned his gaze to the hallway, his ear twitching at the sound of dishes being washed. Cream smiled at him, watching his triangular hearing organs twitch and swivel to outside noises.

"Mamma's making dinner, Mr. Shadow. She said you're welcome to stay and have some if you'd like." Cream offered.

"I guess I can stay for some, Cream." Shadow answered her without looking back. He knew he was being bad company to the young rabbit, but knowing him he wasn't the type to go to events or parties unless Cream asked him to. For some reason Cream has a hidden power that makes Shadow unable to say no.

He turned his attention back to her and she smiled at him, causing him to smirk back.

She entwined her little fingers into his much larger ones and swung their hands together playfully. Shadow just let her do whatever she pleased with him until Vanilla called them to have dinner. With her hand on his, Shadow allowed the younger rabbit to guide him to the dinner table where their plates of food was ready. Vanilla cooked mashed potatoes, corn, baked chicken and baked beans. The food was unbelievably delicious to Shadow that he requested seconds. Vanilla put her foot in the food so to say.

After dinner was eaten, Cream led Shadow back to her room where the two spoke to each other for a while. Cream told Shadow about Chao mating season while Shadow told her about how he just lays in bed all day given he has no reason to leave the comfort of his bedsheets. He made sure not to mention his drinking habits to her in fear that she'll ask her mother what alcoholism was.

"Mr. Shadow aren't you lonely?" Cream asked the elder hedgehog curiously. Shadow looked at her.

"Not really. Loneliness doesn't bother me anymore, Cream. I've gotten used to it over the years." Shadow admitted gruffly.

"Aww, poor Mr. Shadow." Cream felt bad for the hedgehog. He's been through a lot over his lifetime but she didn't knew that. She was too young to understand.

"You're a sweetheart, Cream. Worrying about me when you don't have to. Because of you I'm not alone." Shadow took his finger and pressed Cream's nose making her giggle. He smiled this time, the expression foreign to his muzzle. He only smiled at her because she made him feel something he'd never feel around the others; the other being Amy at times.

"You should smile more, Mr. Shadow. You look really happy when you do." Cream snapped Shadow out of his trance as he realized she was still holding his hand and was now gently squeezing it. The warmth made him look down at their entwined hands with his mouth slightly agape.

Cream noticed his sudden change in behavior and grew worried.

"Mr. Shadow are you ok?" He didn't answer fir a moment before squeezing her hand.

"I'm fine, Cream. I just...remembered something that made me have a double take."

Cream smiled again softly. She was glad Shadow was ok. He smiled again, before nuzzling his nose with hers affectionately. He was unaware of Vanilla's presence until she chuckled. Embarrassment caused the hedgehog's cheeks to redden, and he turned around to look at the elder rabbit.

"Ms. Vanilla!"

"Well, well, Well Shadow dear, you sure have a soft spot for Cream, don't you?" Vanilla was teasing the hedgehog and he knew he'd been caught.

"Oh mamma me and Shadow was talking and he said how lonely he was, so I told him he's never lonely when I'm with him!"

"That's sweet of you, dear. Poor Shadow, if you're ever alone you can always stop by and be with Cream since she makes you feel warm inside." Vanilla offered kindly. Shadow looked at her.

"That's too kind, ma'am." Shadow grunted as he brought his head down to hide his blushing muzzle despite the fact it was already seen.

"Nonsense Shadow. We want you to be happy. Life's too short to keep to yourself, dear. Happiness is the key to life you see." Vanilla explained as she came into the room to lift up the hedgehog's head by his chin. Vanilla wasn't aware of Shadow's ageless life and immortality, but regardless, her words were true in general and the hedgehog understood.

He still held Cream's hand in his own during the exchange and once Vanilla left the room Shadow looked to Cream.

"Your mother's right. Happiness is the key to life." He squeezes her hand. "Remember that, Cream."

"Of course, Mr. Shadow." Cream nodded. He nodded his head before standing up, finally releasing his hand from hers.

"It's getting late now, I should go now." Shadow said.

"No! Mr. Shadow don't go!" Cream begged, her eyes swelling up with tears threatening to trickle down her cheeks. She grabbed ahold of Shadow's hand and he gasped in surprise.

"Cream." Shadow began.

"Mr. Shadow please! I'm your friend, right?" Cream asked sadly. She didn't want him to leave.

"Cream, dearheart..." Shadow was unsure what to tell her and was worried her mother would hear her and come running. He thought of an idea and when he did he smirked.

"Dearheart, since you don't want me to leave, I'll spend the night. How does that sound then?"

Cream smiled. "Yay! A sleepover!"

"But, you have to understand that I have to leave in the morning. I promise to say goodbye and give you a hug before I go, alright?" Shadow was stern with his conditions, but smirked nonetheless when Cream jumped out of her bed to hug him tightly.

"Let me go tell your mother I'm spending the night then." Shadow left momentarily to find Vanilla and he told her what he was doing. She smiled and nodded her head understanding the conditions and offered Shadow to sleep in the guest bedroom Amy often slept in when she visited the rabbits.

The returned to Cream's room and sat back down at the edge of her bed, watching her as she played with her dolls until nightfall arrived. Since he stayed over Cream had him give her a bath. He was uncertain about it given she was female child and he was much older then her, but Vanilla said it was fine. The elder rabbit has so much trust in Shadow despite knowing him very little in person. Cream's tales of being babysat by him at his house when Amy couldn't proved to be enough.

"Alright, let me get behind your ears." Shadow grunted while scrubbing the young rabbit behind her ears. He did so quite roughly, but Cream knew he wasn't used to helping her get baths unless she had to spend the night at his house with occurred twice.

Shadow rinsed Cream off and dried her off with her yellow Chao-printed towel before helping her get into her yellow nightgown. Leading her to her room, Shadow tucked the young rabbit to bed but before he could leave she insisted he tell her a bedtime story.

"I don't have a bedtime story." Shadow grunted.

"But momma always tells me a bedtime story before bed, Mr. Shadow. Please? You can make one up if you want." Cream's primary reason for making the elder hedgehog read to her was because she wanted him to stay with her a little longer.

"Fine. I'll make one up." Shadow grunted. "Before I retired from G.U.N., I was on a mission to retrieve some data from the Doctor, but before I could leave, I was ambushed by him." Shadow began.

"What happened Mr. Shadow?" Cream was hooked instantly to the story.

"He was in a typical large robot meant to destroy Sonic, but I, Shadow the Hedgehog, stopped him. I destroyed that rust bucket and hightailed outta there before the building exploded and that's it. The end." Shadow deadpanned at the last part. He hated G.U.N. for unknown reasons that lead to his retirement from them. Thinking about them made him scowl.

"That's very interesting, Mr. Shadow." Cream smiled. "You're really cool."

"Thank you, Cream. You're 'cool' too." Shadow reached over and tickled Cream, making her laugh. After giving the rabbit a kiss good night on the forehead, he left to sleep in the guest bedroom. It was a near-empty room save for a dresser and already-made bed. Taking off his shoes and socks, The hedgehog slipped into the covers of the bed and turned on the nearby fan given the night was a warm one.

He didn't fall asleep right away. It wasn't until it was close to one in the morning did he fall asleep. Thoughts kept the Ultimate Life Form awake at night. He didn't slept much, but still, sleep was still needed for him to regain his energy. Just as he was about to close his eyes a soft knock at his door made his ear twitch at the almost inaudible sound, and he turned his head to look at the door before slowly getting up to open it.

It was Cream, sobbing quietly while holding her stuffed bear.

"What's wrong dearheart?" Shadow asked her calmly.

"I had a n-nightmare Mr. Shadow." Cream told him.

"Here, you obviously want to sleep with me then." He lead her into the room, closed the door and climbed into the bed with the rabbit. He laid on his side and she pressed her back against his belly, her head on his chest. Wrapping an arm around her protectively, Shadow brought the rabbit closer to him and sighed, his warm breath tickling the insides of her large ears.

She smiled. She felt safe around Shadow. Despite his antisocial behavior, Shadow proved to be soft and cuddly when he's exploited just right. The same was for the red echidna—he's rough and tough on the outside but soft and cuddly on the inside. She felt Shadow chuckle and she giggled quietly.

"What's so funny?" Shadow grumbled through a yawn. He tightened his hold on the girl slightly.

"You're so warm Mr. Shadow." She commented. "And soft."

"I'm full of fur just like you, child." Shadow was beginning to fall asleep. His gruff voice was sounding sleepy and Cream smiled at this.

"I know we are Mr. Shadow. You're so silly."

"I'm...not trying to be funny, Cream." He's starting to become half-asleep. Before his eyes can close the rabbit snuggled closer to him and said,

"You're my best friend Mr. Shadow. Remember that ok?"

Shadow's ear twitched. He grunted before mumbling in her ear.

"I will. Thank you dearheart."

X-X-X-X

Shadow woke up early in the morning. He still held Cream in his embrace and smiled at the rabbit in his arms. The fact that he had to leave now made him feel bad but he'd promise to return. He carefully peeled himself from Cream and got out the bed quietly. Once he got out he kneeled down to kiss Cream on her forehead before leaving the house. Closing the gate, Shadow sighed before teleporting back to his own house, the grass on the front yard was wild and he blocked his windows with newspapers, but he didn't care. He lived a recluse life and chose to be hidden.

Shadow entered his home and sits in the couch rubbing his face from the sleep still affecting it. It was fifteen minutes until six in the morning and the early dawn made it feel earlier then it really was. Regardless, Shadow was still sleepy as he thought about Cream and her innocence. It made him smile briefly. He'll visit her again soon. Real soon.

A/N: Something sweet. Cream and Shadow are fun to write friendship fics about. My favorite little duo of emo and innocence lol. I hope someone likes the story enough to favorite it and/or leave a review if they wanted to. More Cream and Shadow fics to come in the future.


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